Ashbank Wood

Tall pines and birches crowd together at Ashbank Wood, making it feel properly remote despite sitting just outside Stocksfield. It's a straightforward woodland walk - nothing fancy, no visitor centre or gift shop - but that's rather the point. You get proper forest here, with a decent network of paths threading through, enough to keep you occupied for a couple of hours without feeling like you're going in circles.

Walkers will find their feet here. The terrain is fairly gentle, so it works for families who aren't after an all-day expedition, though older kids might find a solo lap a bit dull. History types will get less out of it than naturalists - this is about the woodland itself, the light through the canopy, the underfoot crunch of needles and leaf litter. Come autumn and it's genuinely atmospheric. Summer weekends draw a fair crowd, so aim for a weekday if you want that quiet woodland feeling.

Free to access, naturally. Allow an hour to ninety minutes for a proper mooch around. It pairs well with a stay at Valley View Camping & Glamping just down the road - you're far enough out for that genuine countryside feel, but close enough to Stocksfield if you need supplies. The wood won't revolutionise your trip, but as a local walk from base camp, it does the job.